Mes Bras

Words: Alain Bashung/Jean Fauque

Music: Alain Bashung/Mobile in Motion

Translation dedicated to Jean Fauque, his favorite song...

J'étais censé t'étourdir

i was supposed to knock you out
Sans aviron sans élixir

Without oar without elixir
J'étais censé te soustraire

I was supposed to subtract you
À la glu

From the glue

Les impasses

The impasses
Les grands espaces

The big spaces
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Une étoile sur le point de s'éteindre

A star at the point of going out

J'étais censé te ravir

I was supposed to steal you away
À la colère de Dieu

From the anger of God

La douceur d'un blindé

The softness of the shielded
Le remède à l'oubli

The remedy of forgetting
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
La menace du futur

The menace of the future
Les délices qu'on ampute

The delights that one amputates
Pour l'amour d'une connasse

For the love of some idiot

J'étais censé t'encenser

I was supposed to incense you
Mes hélices se sont lassées¹

My helices were weary¹
De te porter aux nues

From carrying you to the clouds
Je me tue à te dire

I am killing myself trying to tell you
Qu'on ne va pas mourir

That we're not going to die

Sauve toi

Save yourself
Sauve moi

Save me
Et tu sauras où l'acheter le courage²

And you will know where the courage is to buy it

J'étais censé t'étourdir

I was supposed to knock you out
Sans aviron sans élixir

Without oar without elixir
J'étais censé te couvrir

I was supposed to cover you
À l'approche des cyclones

During the approach of cyclones

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Sur le bout des doigts

At the ends of the fingers

La promesse d'un instant

The promise of an instant
La descente aux enfers

The descent into hell
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Mes bras mesurent la distance

My arms are measuring the distance

Sauve toi

Save yourself
Sauve moi

Save me
Et tu sauras où l'acheter le courage

And you will know where the courage is to buy it

J'étais censé t'étourdir

I was supposed to knock you out
Sans aviron sans élixir

Without oar without elixir
J'étais censé t'extraire

I was supposed to extract
Le pieu dans le coeur

The stake in your heart
Qui t'empêche de courir

That keeps you from running away

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Une étoile sur le point de s'éteindre

A star at the point of going out

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Sur le bout des doigts

At the ends of the fingers

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know
Une étoile sur le point de s'éteindre

A star at the point of going out

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know

Sauve toi

Save yourself
Sauve moi

Save me

Mes bras connaissent

My arms know

¹ "My helices were weary", corkscrews, spirals; may be referring to Curschmann's spirals, which are coiled, basophilic plugs of mucus formed in the lower airways and found in sputum and tracheal washings, indicating chronic obstruction.

² "où l'acheter le courage" ("where the courage is to buy it") - word play with "lacheté", cowardess, side by side with courage